Lady Doves paper over cracks

Lady Doves worked hard to beef up their squad ahead of the Caf Women’s Champions League zonal qualifiers that start Saturday in Nairobi – Kenya.

Coach Fred Musiime’s side has signed five players on temporary basis – most of them (Daphine Nyayenga, Gloria Namugerwa, Harima Kanyago and Spencer Nakacwa) from Uganda Martyrs High School, Lubaga, where they camped for two months before heading out to Nairobi yesterday. The other one, goalkeeper Zahara Nankya, is from She Mak.

The Masindi-based side are Fufa Women Super League (FWSL) champions and will be up against champions from Djibouti (FAD), Tanzania (Simba Queens) and Burundi (PVP Bunyezi).

However, en route to clinching the national topflight league title in May at Fufa Technical Centre – Njeru, coach Fred Musiime noted areas of improvement.

Areas of concern
The first concern must have been in defence after drawing with Olila High School and losing to She Corporate in Group 2 then.

Musiime brought in goalkeepers Nyayenga and Nankya plus defender Namugerwa, a highly regarded prospect to beef up this area.

Nyayenga, the U-17 and U-20 national teams keeper, is good competition for Daisy Nakaziro but with the latter already named captain, the former will surely just be a back-up option.
Most will remember Namugerwa for the deft freekick against Kawempe in the opening match of the 2021 FWSL.

She is a national U-17 team player too and deputized for Stella Musubika when the latter got injured midway through the 2020 U-17 World Cup qualifiers although coach Ayub Khalifan later relegated her further the pecking order when Grace Aluka came into the squad.

Offering more security

“Harima is another that I think can do a job at right-back if needed but she is mainly an option in midfield,” Khalifan, who was brought into the Doves’ camp to offer some technical guidance, said.

Kanyago ran UMHS midfield alongside U-17 starlet Kevin Nakacwa and when she gets her chance with Doves, she will be tasked with offering more security whenever Riticia Nabbosa ventures forward. Nabbosa is the creative spark in the squad with her varied range of passing giving Doves the ability to control games or an option to release Fazila Ikwaput into space.

 Ikwaput has mainly been deployed as a striker for Doves but the concern has always been her love to operate from wide and then run in behind defences.

With Spencer Nakacwa, who is also a versatile forward or creative link, Ikwaput has someone to share the striking roles with. She is lively on pitch and showed can get important goals as she did in the Group 1 game against Tooro Queens and later Kawempe in the 3rd place playoffs  in May.

Norah Alupo, who is returning from loan spell at Bunyaruguru Girls for whom she scored six goals in the 2021 Fufa Women Elite League (FWEL), also offers this option and aerial presence.

Coaching harmony
Musiime has always worked so closely with Rajab Buyinza that it is always hard for some to work out who is head coach.

There should be no concerns with Muwadda Byuma joining the bench as goalkeeping coach but in the heat of the moment, how much will UMHS coach Rogers Nkugwa, who joined the bench as assistant coach albeit initially advertised as an analyst, be allowed to contribute?

Or even Khalifan if he travelled and makes it to the bench?

New temporary Signings
Goalkeepers:
Daphine Nyayenga – UMHS

Zahara Nankya – She Mak

Defender
Gloria Namugerwa – UMHS

Midfielder
Harima Kanyago – UMHS

Forward
Spencer Nakacwa – UMHS